Packing tool



Mar. 3, 1925. 1,528,560 Y H. A. MYERS ET AL PACKING TOOL Filed Oct. 2o, 192s @lob l l Patented Mar. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

HERMAN A. MYERS, OF HUNTINGTON PAIR-K, AND HERBERT SCHMIDT, OF BREA,

CALIFORNIA.

PACKING Toor..

Application 'filed October 20, 1923. Serial No. 669,744. v

This invention has to do with a packing tool particularly suited for use in drilling4 wells.

In drilling wells, for instance'. with the rotary method, fluid is employed, it being common to force it ldownwardly through the drill pipe sothat it discharges at the bit` and flows upwardly between the drill pipe and well casing. When the drill pipe breaks or twists ofi it is necessary to sh the broken 20 off part out of the Ihole with an overshot, or

Y 4the like. Ordinarily when a drill pipe breaks fluid circulation is lost until the broken oil section has been lished out of the.

hole,with the result that it is often very difficult to move the broken off section of pipe. Further, in drilling wells, for instance, oil andgaswells, blowouts occasionally occur, doing much damage, and, in many cases, being diicult and costly to stop. It is an object of this invention to provide a tool that will operate to pack two members or objects together, and allow lrelat've operation betUween them. The tool is sui able for use in various situations, for example, in combination with a tool, for instance, an overshot to ack the overshot,.' or a part in Aconnection t erewith, with the section of drill pipe caught by the overshot so that fluid circulation may be established as soon' 40 as the overshot catches thel drill pipe.V The tool may also be employed in connection with the well casing, for instance, at' the upper end of the casing, to engage around the drill pipe and prevent a blowout between the drill 4.5 pipe and casing.

q Another object videa simple, effective and inexpensive tool ofthe character above referred to. i

`Another object of this invention is to pro- `:so vide a tool that can be embodied in orused in connection with `an overshot to pack between 'the overshot, or the lpipe carrying Lthe overshot, and the drill pipecaught by thegove'rshot independently of the overshot` u andwithout'in any my weakening, modifyofthis invention is Ato pr-x ingor` influencing the construction or operation of the overshot.

The variousobjects and features of our invention will be best and more fully understood from the following detailed descrip- 6o tion of a typical form of thev invention, -throughout which description reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which: l

Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing the tool provided by this invention in combination with an overshot,'v and showing the tool in operative position packing thel overshot with tile section ofdrill pipe h eld by the over s ot" Fig. 2 is a sectional viewshowing the device provided by this invention arranged at the upper end of a well casing to operate as a blowout peventeri Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed longitudinal sectional view of the tool provided by the- Y invention; and

detailed transverse sectional Fig. 4 is a indi- .ing understood, however, that such specific `reference is intended only to facilitate an understanding of the invention and does not in'any way limit or restrict the use or range of application of the invention.

The form of our invention illustrated in the drawings includes, generally, a body 10; and a-flexible elastic packing 11; carried by the body. The body 10 is an open-ended tubular member, preferably round "in cross sec, tional configuration, and preferably formed of a single piece of material. The particular shape, proportioning andconstruction of the body 10 depends, in practice, upon the articular use tof -which the device is put, and as, therefore, sub'ect to considerable variation. It is usua y desirable to make the body -10 as small, compact and simple as s- 'sible-,Ea's the tool is usually 'operated 1n a 11o ticular body 10 illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3., of the drawings has its lower end externally screw threaded at 10a to receive a guideshoe, or the like, and has its upper end internally screw threaded at 10b for attachl ment to the lower end of an overshot or other 'nally object. If the device is to be embodied in an overshot as a unitary part thereof the -body of the device may be integral with that of the overshot. l

The packing 11 is a iexible elastic packing, mounted .in the body 10. The packing 11 is tubular and is tapered so that it is larger at one end than at the other. The packing 11 is connected by means of its arge end to the inside of the body 10 so that it is coaxial with the body, and has its small end substantially removed, longitudiof the body, from the point of connection with the body. The small end of the packing is entirely free of the body so that it can be expanded, as hereinafter described.

' In practice the packing 11 is designed and proportioned, particularly with relation to its length and diameters, so .that the small end will bear closely around the smallest expand to pass the largest object' to be passed through the tool. The particular tool illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, and 4 of the drawings is designed and proportioned 'so that it is suitable for packing around aI certain sized drill pipe, and for passing the couplings, tool joints and bit in connection with the pi e.- The large end of the packing 11 fits close y in the body 10 and is securely connected with the body.

In accordance with the broader aspects of our invention the packing 11 may be constructed, or may be built up in various manners. We 4have herein set forth a simple, effective and inexpensive form of packing particularly suited for the uses we have mentioned. The form of packing 11 illustrated in the` drawings includes, generally, a (plurality of spring fingers 12, and a bo y 13 of rubber, or other suitable material, in connection with the lingers. The fingers 12 extend longitudinally of' the packing, and at the large end of the packing are seated against a shoulder 15 formed in the body' 10. The -tingers'may be connected with the body-in any suitable manner, for instance, by means of screws 16. The iingers 12 extend inwardly and longitudinally thxlough' the body in the direction of the packing from the point where they connect with the body,- and are shaped, being somewhat tapered, so that their adjacent edges 17 come together when the packing -is m its normal or unexpanded position, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. The body of rubber 13 is preferably carried on or at the outside of the fingers 12, and extends from the large end of the packing, where it is clamped or held tightly between the body and fingers, to a point somewhat beyond the outer ends of the fingers. The body of rubber 13 is preferably a continuous annular body of such size and shape that it tits tightly on or over the fingers 12,' and, in fact, tends to hold the fingers in or together. At the small end of the packing the lingers 12 are provided with projections 17 which are narrower than the end portions of the lingers and extend somewhat outwardly to be embedded in the small end of the body of rubber 13, in the manner clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. In practice it is desirable to make the smallest diameter of the vbody of rubber about the same, if not somewhat smaller, than the smallest diameter of the structure formed by the lingers 12, thus vcausing the body of rubber to engage any object th-at may be arranged through the tool and engaged by the fingers. Where the inner or large end of the body of rubberis held between the body and fingers it is desirable to roughen the inner surface of the body so that the rubber jointsof the drill pipe but will engagev under a coupling or tool joint of the drill pipe upon being moved upwardly on the drill pipe. -When used in this connection the. tool is preferably` attachedf to the lower end of the overshot `with the packing extending upwarvdly, and may, if so desired, be provided-at its lower end with a guide shoe 24. which guide-Shoe is ordinarily mounted on 4'the lower end of theovershot. As the overshot is lowered downwardly through the well casing' 25 the guide-shoe 24 directs of drill pipe 21 through the ,tool provided by our invention and into the overshot. As the tool passes downwardly over couplings or to'ol joints-inconnection with the drill ipe the packing 1I expands enough to a low their passage. When the overshot 20 has caught the drill pipe 21, and, in fact, as soon as the drill pipe 21 has vpassed through the tool provided by our invention the packo l issecnrely held. Further, the body of rubobject to be passed through the, tool and will b the piece ing 11 engages the drill pipe and thus packs the overshot with the drill pipe so that fluid forced downwardly through the pipe carrying thelovershot.v will not flow out through the lower end ofl theovershot but will pass downwardly through the drill pipe 21 to reestablish circulation lost at the time the drill pipe vwas broken o'. It is to be particularly noted that the tool provided by our invention operates independently of the overshot and only to pack around 'the drill pipe and does not aid, modify, or in any way inuencethe operation ofthe overshot in actuating and holding the' drill pipe 21. l

In'Fig. 2 of the drawmgs we have shown" the tool provided by our invention mounted on the upper end of the well casing where 1t will pass the drilling tools into and out of the well without interference. When used in this manner the tool is arranged so that the packing 11 extends downwardly to be 1n position to prevent or check blowingout between the drill pipe and well casing. Upward pressure between the drill pipe and casing will operate to urge the packing 1 1 toward lthe drill pipe and thereby pack it against the drill pipe.

By constructing the packing 1'1 1n the `manner hereinabove described-*the fingers 12 engage'the drill pipe, or, at least, the couplings and .tool joints to relieve wear from the body of rubber. while the body of rubber engages or is close to the drill pipe to pack against the drill pipe when there is pressure tending to pass throughfthe tool, as hereinabove described.

Having described only a typical preferred form of "our invention we do not wishto limit ourselves to the specific details hereinabove set forth but wish to reserve to ourselves any changes or variations that may appear to those skilled in the art or fall' within the scope of the following claims:

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. A tool of the character describedv including, a' body. and packing carried by the body, the packing having a part extendingconvergently inwardly and through the body` freely of the body, said part including a body of rubber and means reenforcin'g the rubber.

9.. A tool of the character described including a body. and packing carried by the body, .the packing having a part extending convergently' inwardly and through the body -freely of the body. said part including a body of rubber andrspring fingers inl connection with the rubber.

f 3. A tool of the character described including, a cylindrical body, and a packing carrie-d` in the body and having a convergent part extending freely longitudinally of the body, the packing including a body of l.rubber and a plurality of spring lingers in connection with the body of rubber and ex- 4part. extending freely longitudinally of ythe body, the. packing including a body of rubber vand a plurality of spring fingers in connection with the body of rubberand extending longitudinally of the body of rubber, the adjacent edges of the fingers being together when the packing is in its normal condition. l

' 5. A tool of the character described in.- cluding, a cylindrical body, and a packing carried in the body and having/a convergent part extending freely longitudinally of the body. the packing including a body of rubber and a plurality of spring fingers at. the inner side of the body of rubber and 4ez:-

tending longitudinally of the body of rubber.

6. A tool of the character described including. a cylindrical body, and a packing. carried in the body and having a convergent part extending freely longitudinally of the body. the packing including a body of rubber anda plurality of spring fingers in connection with the body of rubber and extending longitudinally f the body of rubber. hofingers being directly connected with the )of y. v

7 A tool of the character described including a cylindrical body. and a tapered tubillar packingnnounted in the body by its large end. the 'iacking including a body of rubber and a plurality of longitudinal spring fingers in connection with the body of rubber. the fingers being rigidly connected with the body at the large end of the packing.

8. A tool of the character described including a cylindrical body. and a tapered tubular packing mounted in the body by its large end. thepacking including a body 1 'of rubber and a plurality of longitudinal spring fingers fin connect-ion with the bodyof rubber, the fingers having projections at the.l mall end of packing embedded in the ruber. 9. A tool of the 'character described including a cylindrical body. and a, tapered tubular packing mounted in the body by its large end. the packing including a body of rubber and a plurality of longitudinal spring fingers in connection with the body of rubber. the fingers being rigidly connected with the body at the large end of the packing, the fingers having proiectionsat the 1rnall cud of packing embedded in the rub- 10.- An attachment for an overshot, or the like; including, a body to be releasably connected with the overshot, and means carried bythe body operating independently of the overshot for lpacking it with `an object en- In witness that we claim the .foregoing gaged by the overshot. we have hereunto subscribed ournames this 111. An attachment for an oversholts, or the tenth day of October, 1923. 1i :e inoludin@ a body to be release 1y con- 5 neeted with the overshot, an annular packing carried in the body so that it s operable independently of the overshot, the packing Vtnesses: having a exble elastic part shaped to nor- Mrs. C. F. STANGER, mally engage -an object engaged by the over- W. C. DAVIS, 10 shot. ORAL MITCHELL. 

